Forever
by nashvillefan12
Summary: Based on post-finale
1. Chapter 1

**I have read so many excellent stories based on the post-finale that I couldn't resist writing one of my own...after all we still have a little over a month to go! I have no idea where I'm going with this but ideas are welcomed. Hope you enjoy!**

It was the morning after Rayna called off the wedding to Luke Wheeler. She walked through the front door of her house relieved to shut the door on all the press waiting at the end of the driveway. It was a constant reminder of the damage she had caused and she wondered how they would spin this story. She had figured they had camped out there all night wanting a photo or a statement, anything to spread some gossip in their magazines.

They had stood there at the gate, chanting her name and throwing themselves in front of her vehicle with their recording devices and their camera crews but she looked straight ahead, her sunglasses covering her face and drove by all the chaos, running straight for the door and quickly locking it once she got inside.

"Mom! You're home!" Daphne exclaimed, greeting her mother at the front door along with Maddie. Judging by the looks on their faces she could tell they were scared. She wasn't sure which was worse for her children to fear, the press and their rumors or the uncertainty of everything but either way her heart broke knowing she had put them in this mess in the first place.

It wasn't long until Tandy stepped into the room, her hand firmly planted on her hip and her mouth in a straight line. Rayna swallowed hard, she could tell her sister was disappointed but she looked down at her girls and hugged them tight.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Maddie said leaning her head against her mother's shoulder. Rayna reached her hand up and gently stroked Maddie's hair. "Me too honey." Tandy took a few steps closer to them all. Rayna managed her best smile. "Hey, thank you for staying with them." Tandy nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Actually-" She paused sounding a little more cheerful than she should have after a break up. "I think I will be." Tandy raised her eyebrows but before she could question Rayna any further, Daphne jumped in. "I thought you loved Luke." Rayna shrugged lightly. "I did. Luke is a really great guy but we just didn't have the same perspectives on life like I thought we did." Maddie rolled her eyes. "You mean like boarding school?" Rayna nodded. "Yeah, there's no way I'd send y'all away! I'd miss you too much!"

She gave the girls another squeeze and Daphne was back to energetic herself. "Does this mean we can stay with you today?" Daphne asked excitedly. "Of course! I'd really love that. Just the four of us!" Rayna said looking up at Tandy to invite her to stay.

"Teddy is on his way over to get the girls." Tandy informed her.

Rayna frowned. "What?"

"Do we have to?" Daphne moaned. "Can't we just stay here? Mom said it was okay." Maddie added.

"Girls, there are reporters out front and they're not going away anytime soon. You two should be someplace safe and away from all that. I think your mom would agree." The girls looked up at Rayna and she sighed. "She's right." Both the girls groaned. "But I promise we'll all be together soon because I'm going to put an end to all of this." The girls nodded as they stomped up to their rooms to pack.

Rayna turned to face Tandy, shrugging her jacket off and walking further into the kitchen. "Look, I know you don't understand-" Tandy shook her head. "No, I don't understand! We planned everything! You said you were happy and now there's an angry mob at the end of your driveway that won't leave until you make a statement!" Rayna leaned up against the island in the kitchen and rubbed her head. "I know, everything is a mess right now. There's still so much to figure out but I couldn't do it!"

Tandy watched her sister for a moment. She let out a heavy sigh and then circled around the counter and grabbed her into a hug. "I'm sorry I pressured you."

Rayna shrugged. "I thought that's what I wanted."

Tandy pulled back to look at her sister. "I know you just want peace and quiet right now but Bucky is on his way over. We have to tell the press something!" Rayna nodded as she prepared to face the mob.

###

After making her speech, Rayna slowly walked away from the vultures that spread across the gate at the end of the driveway with her shoulder hunched over and Tandy and Bucky at her side guiding her towards the house. She felt so violated, so betrayed at the things they were yelling, things that transpired between her and Luke that only Luke would've known to tell them.

Once inside, Bucky kept himself busy making calls on his phone trying to fix everything. Rayna anxiously twirled like a child on the bar stool in the kitchen. "How bad is it Buck?" Rayna asked. Bucky shrugged. "Well I cancelled the flight to Australia for you and the girls. I'm still working on refunding the fans for the cancelled tour." Rayna nodded her head. "What about the press? Will I ever be able to leave the house again?"

"Possibly sooner than we thought." Rayna sat up straight, eager to hear Bucky's logic. He pulled out his ipad scrolling through the topics on the news page. "Turns out Juliette had a private ceremony of her own that just got leaked to the press." He said pulling up photos of Juliette and Avery escaping a court house dressed in wedding attire. "You might be old news by tomorrow."

Rayna's eyes grew wide, staring at the ipad. "Juliette got married?" Bucky nodded putting the ipad down. "Guess we can thank her for buying us a little more time to sort everything out." Rayna nodded. Bucky grabbed his coat and put it on. "I'm going to head out. If I hear anything I'll call." Rayna offered him a small smile. "Thanks Buck."

Rayna twirled herself around on the kitchen stool to see Tandy standing in the kitchen with a bottle of wine in her hand. She watched as her sister opened the bottle, pouring it into two glasses and handed her one. "You sure you're okay?" Tandy asked circling around the counter and making her way to the sofa.

Rayna followed her into the livingroom, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "I'm fine. Do you think the girls are okay?"

"They will be. I mean it was scary. One minute the press was anxiously waiting for the bride and the next they were in an uproar about the wedding being called off. I guess Luke's manager tipped them off. They said you left Luke's ranch hours before. I tried to call your cell and no answer."

Rayna nodded. "I know. I guess I just needed some time you know? I drove around for hours. It felt so good, so liberating."

Tandy smiled. "Maybe that's what you needed but I'm glad you're back. We were all so worried about you. We had no idea what happened to you or where you were. Where did you go?" Tandy asked casually sipping her wine.

Rayna gripped her glasses a little tighter, staring into it. She caught herself recalling the details of the past 24 hours in her head and just how much her life had changed. Everything was different now. She felt her sister's hand shake her knee and she looked up. "I went to Deacon's."

**Of course the next chapter I'm thinking about posting will be based on what happened at Deacon's the night before. ;) To be continued..**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm pretty sure this isn't how the writers will choose to tell the story but here's my take anyways. Enjoy!**

The tightening feeling in Rayna's chest became more at ease with every mile she put behind her after leaving Luke's ranch. It seemed as though the road was hers today, although there wasn't a lot of traffic on the back roads this time of day on the weekend anyway. It was quite peaceful out in the middle of nowhere besides the sound of her phone buzzing every two minutes. At one point she glanced at the name lit up. Tandy.

Knowing her sister she would beg her to come home and they could smooth everything over but that's not what Rayna wanted or intended to do. She was tired of living on the surface, only doing what was best for everyone around her to keep them all happy when she wasn't happy herself.

In the passenger seat, her phone buzzed again. This time she reached over pushing the lock button and swiping her finger across the screen to shut it off.

The sun was slowly sinking behind the trees after hours of aimlessly driving. She checked the clock on the radio. It was starting to get late. She took a left turn on to the familiar road. With every curve, her hands slightly tipped the steering wheel side to side so effortlessly. Her vehicle had been down this road so many times it was as if it were in autopilot. Dusk started to set in when she pulled her car into park on the side street in East Nashville.

She climbed out of her SUV and stared at the well-lit house. It looked so homey from the outside. She imagined herself pulling up to this very curb every night while her family waited inside. They would be creating a new song, filling the house with music and happiness. A ranch full of horses would not even compare to the simplest sounds of her family welcoming her home.

Rayna smiled as she started for the house. With each step, the cold December air brought her back to reality. It had been a long year and a half keeping him at arms-length and here she was to pull him back into her circus and expect him to forgive her just like that.

As she stepped up onto the porch not knowing what to expect, she gently knocked on the door. She stepped back waiting while she stared at her shoes praying he would answer and not slam the door in her face when he saw it was her. She rocked on her heels with her hands in her pocket. A few seconds later, the door opened and there he was. Her eyes lifted from the ground, staring straight into his. "Hey." She said softly.

He had to have been floored to see her standing there today when he knew damn well she was supposed to be in holy matrimony by now. He gripped the door tighter, holding himself up right. He looked confused and sad. It cut her deep.

Her throat suddenly felt dry when she starts to speak. "I-" She said. "I made a huge mistake." He didn't make a verbal response, just stared at her with that somber look of his. She raised her eyebrows, not expecting him to be this quiet. "I know that I said somethings that I regret now. I told you to move on and then there was the magazine but you were right, that wasn't me, no part of that lifestyle was me. I hurt you and I'm truly sorry for everything."

A couple weeks ago, he wouldn't have even let her continue her apology. He would've grabbed her arm pulling her to him in a fury of passion right there on his porch before fumbling backwards into his house, removing clothing along the way as he slammed the door behind them, leading her to his bedroom and never letting her leave his side ever again. But he knew that wasn't an option anymore. Not with his illness, he couldn't do that to her.

"Deacon?" Her voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hmm?" He mumbled. She cocked her head to the side, curiously looking at him, wondering if he was going to invite her in. He watched as she shivered standing there on his front porch and read her inner thoughts. He took a step back, nodding his head inside. She walked past him, standing there in his livingroom as he shut the door to face her. She stood there with her face buried in her hands. When she looked up there were no tears. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I don't know." She said shrugging her shoulders. "When I left Luke's ranch after I told him there would be no wedding, I just drove for hours. It felt so good to finally be free again and then I realized just because I ended it doesn't mean it's going to go away. There's going to be press waiting at my house, it'll be all over the news soon."

Once again, she rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers, glancing at the floor as she recalled what a mess she would still have to face.

"Ray I-."

She lifted her eyes to meet his, cutting him off midsentence. "I love you." She blurted out, a small smile creeping up on her face. He frowned, not knowing what to say. "Luke knew the minute I showed up today that I was still in love with you, Deacon. That's why I couldn't do it."

He swallowed hard. This was all so much. So much that he had once hoped for and even dreamed of but with his diagnosis he didn't want to mislead her in case things took a turn for the worse.

"I have loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you." She stares at him with that longing look and he's gone. Before he knows it, she steps forward grabbing his hands, leaning her mouth to his ear and whispers "Eternity."

That word makes him shiver hearing her say it. The pads of his thumbs stroke the backs of her hands. Her skin is warm. Having her close everything feels so right but he can't do it. He doesn't want her crying at his gravesite wondering what she could've done differently to save him. He doesn't want her to have any part in this at all. He steps away with his back to her and runs a hand through his hair. It overcomes him and he curses at the unfortunate circumstances the day has brought him. "Damnit."

"Don't! Don't do it Deacon! We are meant to be. You and me remember?" She steps closer to him again. He still has his back to her but he can feel her presence near. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but please, please. I don't want to live another day without you."

_One day she will have to live without me._ He thinks to himself, recalling the doctor's news from earlier. When he doesn't respond, she slowly walks over to the couch, taking a seat on the arm and staring at the floor. He glances over towards her. He can see how hurt she is and he can't take it. "I think you should go." He says eventually before walking into his room and shutting the door. She begins to sob and it just about kills him listening to it from the other side of the door.

_Coward_. He thinks to himself. _How could you just let her sit there and cry like that?_

An hour later and he doesn't hear anything. He can no longer hear the sound of her footsteps pacing on the floor in the livingroom or the sound of her sobs that broke his heart in two. He crakes open the door, listening. _Nothing._

He makes his way down the hallway and stops in his tracks when he sees she's still there, sitting on his couch. "I thought you left." She shakes her head.

He takes a deep breath as he makes his way to the couch and sits down next to her. He seems a lot calmer now. "Look Rayna, I'm sorry about before. It's just-" he pauses. "I thought you were getting married today and then-"

"I know. I'm sorry. It happened so fast and I know you need some time to process everything."

_Time. _He didn't know how much of that he had left in his lifetime anymore.

"I miss us, Deacon. I miss the way things used to be. The way we'd just sit for hours and talk. We haven't exactly been in each other's lives lately. There's so much we need to catch up on. So much I want to ask you."

"Like what?"

"Like where is this hand built dresser Maddie told me all about?" She asks glancing around.

He laughs recalling the time he put it together. "Down the hall in her room."

Rayna raises her eyebrows curious where Maddie's room was. She realized she hadn't been around enough to know Maddie even had a room at Deacon's house. He must've saw the curiosity in her eyes as he stood up extending his hand for her. She nearly blushes like a teenage girl as she follows him down the hallway to their daughter's room.

He opens the door, switching the light on. She steps into the room with him and gasps glancing around at the freshly painted walls. She sees Deacon's old guitar collection that he passed onto Maddie and the posters of Meryl Haggard and Loretta Lynn hanging on the wall. "Look at this! No wonder she never wants to come home."

He walks over to the corner where the tiny dresser sets. "Here she is."

"It's a beauty." She says running her hand over the stained wood.

He watches her as she looks at all the pictures and decorations he and Maddie put up to make it feel like home. It's the first time he forgets about trying to push her away and he smiles watching her pick up his EP that he signed for Maddie. "I gave her the first copy I could get my hands on. Figured she wore out A Life That's Good."

Rayna smiled, as she traced her finger over his signature. "She'll treasure this forever."

His smile slowly fades, imagining his daughter playing his records nonstop when he's gone and sobbing each time she remembers things they did together like their fishing trip to the cabin or shopping for that silly looking dresser he built. He catches himself recalling that time Daphne greeted him at the door, grabbing his hand and dragging him through Rayna's house on their first real date together after 14 years. They'd played Ho Hey before Teddy interrupted and made s'mores together as a family.

He catches himself watching Rayna. The way her hair hangs down past her shoulders, the way her face lights up when she looks at a photo of him and Maddie on their fishing trip. He doesn't want to forget a minute of this because he knows his time with them all is limited.

He thinks about Rayna facing the girls and telling them the wedding to Luke is off and the trip to Australia for Christmas as well. He thinks about how badly the press will affect his entire family. He can't stand the thought of reporters waiting outside their house or following them wherever they go. He hates that idea entirely. He just wants to protect them all from the mess as much as he can while he's still able to.

He awkwardly clears his throat, bringing Rayna's attention back to him. "It's getting late. Been a long day." He says standing in the middle of the room. She nods standing up to put the pictures back where she found them. She slides her jacket back on and starts for the doorway. She knows that's her cue to leave.

He has an inner battle with himself, telling himself that the best thing for her to do is leave but he's not ready to let her face the cruel world waiting for her out there with their cameras and microphones. Before he can stop himself he blurts out. "Would you like to stay here?" She turns around to face him, clearly surprised. "I mean in Maddie's room." He adds.

She tries to hide her smile. "Yeah I'd like that."

He nods. "I'll grab you a fresh pillow case and sheets." He says as he starts to exit the room.

"Hey Deacon." She says. He stops and looks at her. She smiles at him. "Thanks."

**Hope you enjoyed! **


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